Band-shaped jewelry



0a. 17, 1967 TEPPERT 3,347,038

BAND SHAPED JEWELRY Filed June 24, 1965 INVENTOR HhTon PP B bum,

flvroa eys 3,347,038 BAND-SHAPED JEWELRY Anton Teppert, 8 Klarenberg, Schwabisch Gmund, Germany Filed June 24, 1965, Ser. No. 466,578 11 Claims. (CI. 59-35) The present invention relates to a band-shaped jewelry, i.e. especially to bracelets or necklaces or the like. When such a jewelry item is made of gold, it is frequently made by hand which, however, is very complicated and expensive.

In contradistinction thereto, the aim of the present invention essentially consists in so manufacturing and connecting with each other jewelry items of the type described above which consist of a plurality of individual jewelry elements and connecting members that the grinding and polishing can be realized by machine. Consequently, the individual elements possess no protruding and also no recessed or apertured places. Similarly, the individual elements are disposed, at least during manufacture thereof, closely adjacent each other and possess the same thickness. The finishing operations such as the grinding together with polishing may thus be realized rapidly and completely satisfactorily by machining over all joined elements on the top surface and on the bottom surface by means of a conventional diamond-cutting machine.

In order to achieve this aim, the band-shaped jewelry 'according to the present invention is characterized in that the flat, tubular jewelry elements made of so-called fashioned or shaped tubular pieces are provided on their bottom sides and along the longitudinal sides thereof transversely to the small, rectangularly shaped end-face apertures with cut-out or milled-out recesses.

The connecting members are inserted into these milledout recesses up to one-half the width of the jewelry elementsThe connecting members are provided at both end-faces thereof with apertures which surround the webs or bridges of the longitudinal sides of the jewelry elements remaining on both sides of the milled-out apertures and which extend each with the rectangularly shaped extensions existing to both sides of the aforementioned apertures, in a pair-wise manner, into the apertures of adjacent jewelry elements. Appropriately, the aforementioned milled-out recesses are covered completely on the bottom side of the jewelry elements by the inserted connecting member. The insertion and assembly of the connecting members into the individual jewelry elements takes preferably place in that the connecting members are initially bent into a V shape prior to assembly and are thereupon pressed fiat with the extensions thereof for purposes of engagement into the apertures of the jewelry elements.

The apertures in the end-faces of the individual connecting members are of equal width so that, for example, an assembled jewelry bracelet or watch band results therefrom. However, it is also equally possible to make the apertures on the one end-face of the connecting members I wider than the apertures on the other end-face of the connecting members. By such an arrangement, necklaces or the like may be made which are flexible in the plane of the surface thereof and thus can adapt themselves closely to the contours of the body.

It is known in the prior art to assemble jewelry items v of individual'members and to utilize for that purpose connecting members which are initially bent-up or constructed of fork-like shape and which are thereafter pressed fiat. These prior art connecting members, however, do not extend over one-half the width of the jewelry elements so that the bottom side is not completely and evenly covered. With other constructions of the prior art, the indi- United States Patent vidual parts of a band-shaped jewelry are not continuously smooth and flush on both sides or pin means or center webs of the chain-link members and the like are present. However, in all cases, a surface machining of the top side and of the bottom side 'by rational conventional diamond cutting is not possible with the prior art constructions.

In contrast thereto, the advantage with the band-shaped jewelry according to the present invention resides in considerably and decisively simplifying the manufacture and fitting-out operations and additionally in obtaining not only smooth, continuous top or exposed surfaces but also smooth, continuous bottom surfaces. The other details as to construction and fitting may be of any suitable, known type.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a band-shaped jewelry which, by extremely simple means, obviates the aforementioned shortcomings and drawbacks encountered with the prior art jewelry items.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a band-shaped jewelry which greatly simplifies not only the assembly but also permits rational manufacture by utilizing mechanical finishing operations, not feasible heretofore with similar jewelry made of gold.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a jewelry item of band-shape which permits the grinding and polishing operations by the use of conventional mechanical diamond-cutting devices.

Still a further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a band-shaped jewelry for use as bracelet or necklace which is characterized by continuous, smooth and flush top and bottom surfaces.

These and further objects, features, and advantages of ,the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which shows, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial perspective view of the bottom side of a part of a bracelet in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is partial perspective view of the top side of the bracelet of FIGURE 1 in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of an individual jewelry element;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of an individual connecting member;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view on the bottom side of the bracelet of FIGURE 1, partly in cross section, taken along lines VV of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a connecting member as shown in FIGURE 4, however, bent up prior to its installation;

- FIGURE 7 is a plan view on the bottom side of the band-shaped jewelry of FIGURE 2.;

FIGURE'8 is a plan view on the bottom side of a modified embodiment of a band-shaped bracelet in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of the bracelets of FIG- URE 8.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts, the embodiments illustrated in the drawing relate to a bracelet which is composed of a plurality of jewelry elements 1 and connecting members 7. The clasp or fastening means at both ends of the bracelet may be of any conventional type and is not illustrated herein since it forms no part of the present invention.

Each individual jewelry element 1 consists of a flat,

fashioned tubular elements. The cross-sectional shape is thus flat and rectangular sothat small end-face apertures 2 are present on opposite sides of the end-faces of each jewelry element 1. The jewelry element 1 is provided transversely to these apertures 2 on its bottom side 4 and along its longitudinal sides 5 with a continuous milledout recess or cut-out portion 6 so that webs 12 remain on both sides of each jewelry element 1. If such types of jewelry elements 1 are placed with their longitudinal sides 5 adjacent one another, then the milled-out recesses or cut-out portions 6 are completed into a continuous groove whereas the remaining webs 12 remain as bottom surfaces 4 on both sides. Viewed from the top side thereof, the individual jewelry elements 1 form a continuous, flat and flush surface.

Each individaul connecting element 7 is made of a flat band or strip, for example, by punching or stamping, and is provided at its end surfaces with apertures 8 and 9 so that rectangularly shaped projections 10 remain, on one side and rectangularly shaped projections 11 on the other side. The length of a connecting member 7 corresponds to the length of a jewelry elementll. Also, the width of the connecting members 7 and of the jewelry elements 1 are equal.

Prior to the assembly, the individual connecting ele ments 7 are bent approximately into V shape as is visible from FIGURE 6. Each connecting element 7 engages with one-half of its width into the jewelry element 1 disposed adjacent the same and more particularly in such a manner that one of the projections 10 and 11 each engages the milled-out recess or cut-out portions 6 of a re,- spective one of the jewelry elements 1 disposed adjacent thereto. If now the connecting members 7 is pressed fiat, then the projections 10 and 11 enter into the respective apertures 2 of the jewelry elements 1 in a direction from the inside toward the outside. The width of the apertures 8 and 9 corresponds thereby to twice the wall thickness of the jewelry elements 1. In this manner, the individual jewelry elements 1 are reliably connected with each other by the connecting members 7.

Considered from the top side thereof, an assembled bracelet is continuously flush and completely fiat and plane. Also, the bottom side is continuously flat and plane because the connecting members 7 also lie directly adjacent one another. Hence, the bracelet can be machined without difficulty both at its top side as well as its bottom side in a continuous and mechanical manner by conventional diamond cutting or grinding and polishing and may also be provided on the top side (the normally exposed side), if so desired, with any suitable engraving or the like. If the connecting members 7 are narrower than the jewelry elements 1, then corresponding gaps result during wear between the latter. However, for purpose of grinding and fitting, they are pushed against each other and form again a continuous surface. If such a bracelet is to be shortened or lengthened, individual connecting members may be removed without difficulty by simply bending the same up so that the desired number of jewel ry elements may be removed or added.

It is not necessary within the scope of the present invention'that the individual jewelry elements 1 are provided at the end surfaces with an accurate rectangular shape as shown in FIGURE 3. It is also possible without any difiiculty to suitably increase individual jewelry elements or all jewelry elements beyond the webs 12 thereof which may take place, for example, by means of connecting pieces or extensions 13 or suitable shape and configuration. Some examples of the extension pieces 13 are indicated in dash and dot lines in FIGURE 7. The pieces 13 are, for example, of rectangular shape or of triangular shape or of trapezoidal shape and may impart to the jewelry a fashionable configuration and appearance of any desired type. Also, the webs 12 may be wider on one side than on the other. Furthermore, it is also possible with wide bracelets to use two or more rows of jewelry elements disposed adjacent one another which are connected at the end-faces thereof either directly or by correspondingly constructed extension pieces 13 or the jewelry elements 1 are so wide that they permit the accommodation of two or more parallelly extending milled-out recesses 6. The connecting members 7 are constructed as already described above and are matchedcorrespondingly in their width.

A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9. This embodiment corresponds generally to the embodiment described above and essentially consists of individual jewelry elements 1 and of individual connecting members 7. However, the apertures 8 and 9 in the connecting members 7 are not of equal width but are of different width. For example, the apertures 9 on one end-face of the individual connecting members 7 are wider than the apertures 8 on the other end-face. As a result thereof, the webs 10 and '11 also become of different width.

This has the advantage that the bracelet can also be bent in its flat plane and thus automatically adapts itself, for example, to the body of the wearer, for example, to the neck opening in case of a necklace, as is clearly recognizable from FIGURE 9. If additionally connecting members 7 with different apertures 8 and 9 are alternately constructed of different width on one end-face and on the other end-face thereof, band-shaped jewelry items result which are flexible in a serpentine-shaped manner. A more or less strong bending or adaptation may thus be achieved also in the flat circumferential plane of a jewelry band by the differences in the widths of the apertures 8 and 9 without any difiiculties whereby, of course, in all cases, the usual bending in the circumferential direction is not impaired.

While I have shown and described several embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is understood that the same is notlimited thereto but issuscepth ble of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art, and I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein, but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are encompassedby the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A band-shaped jewelry, essentially consisting of substantially fiat, tubularly shaped jewelry elements having a bottom side, longitudinal sides and end faces and provided with apertures in the end faces thereof and of fiat connecting members having end faces,

the jewelry elements being provided with cut-out portions on the bottom side thereof and in the longitudinal sides thereof transversely to said apertures, the length of said cut-out portions being less than the length of a jewelry element, thereby leaving web portions along the sides of each jewelry element,

each connecting member being inserted with a part thereof having a width up to one-half the width of a jewelry element into a respective cut-out portion, each connecting member being provided at the end faces thereof with apertures which surround the web portions of two adjacent jewelry elements and with extensions on both sides of the apertures thereof, one extension of two adjacent connecting members being inserted in a pair-wise manner into the apertures 0f the respective jewelry element.

2. A band-shaped jewelry, essentially consisting of substantially flat, tubularly shaped jewelry elements havingv a bottom side, longitudinal sides and end faces and provided with relatively narrow, rectangularly shaped apertures in the end faces thereof and of flat connecting members having end faces,

the jewelry elements being provided with cut-out portions on the bottom side thereof and in the longitudinal sides thereof transversely to said apertures, the length of said cut-out portions being less than the length of a jewelry element, thereby leaving web portions along the sides of each jewelry element,

each connecting member being inserted with a part thereof having a width up to one-half the width of a jewelry element into a respective cut-out portion, each connecting member being provided at the end faces thereof with apertures which surround the web portions of two adjacent jewelry elements and with substantially rectangularly shaped extensions on both sides of the apertures thereof, one extension of two adjacent connecting members being inserted in a pairwise manner into the apertures of the respective jewelry element.

3. A band-shaped jewelry, essentially consisting of substantially fiat, tubularly shaped jewelry elements having a bottom side, longitudinal sides and end faces and provided with apertures in the end faces thereof and of flat connecting members having end faces,

the jewelry elements being provided with cut-out portions on the bottom side thereof and in the longitudinal sides thereof transversely to said apertures, the length of said cut-out portions being less than the length of a jewelry element, thereby leaving web portions along the sides of each jewelry element.

each connecting member being inserted with a part thereof having a width up to one-half the width of a jewelry element into a respective cut-out portion, each connecting member being provided at the end faces thereof with apertures which surround the web portions of two adjacent jewelry elements and with extensions on both sides of the apertures thereof, one extension of two adjacent connecting members being inserted in a pair-Wise manner into the apertures of the respective jewelry element,

the cut-out portions being completely covered on the bottom side of the jewelry by the inserted connecting members.

4. A band-shaped jewelry, essentially consisting of substantially flat, tubularly shaped jewelry element having a bottom side, longitudinal sides and end faces and provided with apertures in the end faces thereof and of fiat connecting members having end faces,

the jewelry elements being provided with cut-out portions on the bottom side thereof and in the longitudinal sides thereof transversely to said apertures, the length of said cut-out portions being less than the length of a jewelry element, thereby leaving web portions along the sides of each jewelry element,

each connecting member being inserted with a part thereof having a width up to one-half the width of a jewelry element into a respective cut-out portion, each connecting member being provided at the end faces thereof with apertures which surround the web portions of two adjacent jewelry elements and with extensions on both sides of the apertures thereof, one extension of two adjacent connecting members being inserted in a pair-wise manner into the apertures of the respective jewelry element,

the apertures in one end face of the connecting members being equal to the apertures in the other end face thereof.

5. A band-shaped jewelry, essentially consisting of substantially flat, tubularly shaped jewelry elements having a bottom side, longitudinal sides and end faces and provided with apertures in the end faces thereof and of flat connecting members having end faces,

the jewelry elements being provided with cut-out portions on the bottom side thereof and in the longitudinal sides thereof transversely to said apertures, the length of said cut-out portions being less than the length of a jewelry element, thereby leaving web portions along the sides of each jewelry element,

each connecting member being inserted with a part thereof having a width up to one-half the width of a jewelry element into a respective cut-out portion, each connecting member being provided at the end faces thereof with apertures which surround the web portions of two adjacent jewelry elements and with extensions on both sides of the apertures thereof, one extension of two adjacent connecting members being inserted in a pair-wise manner into the apertures of the respective jewelry element,

the apertures in one end face of the connecting members being wider than the apertures in the other end face thereof.

6. A band-shaped jewelry, essentially consisting of substantially flat, tubularly shaped jewelry elements having a bottom side, longitudinal sides and end faces and flat connecting members having end faces,

the jewelry elements being provided on the bottom side thereof and in the longitudinal sides thereof transversely to relatively narrow, rectangularly shaped apertures provided at the end faces thereof with cutout recesses,

the connecting members being inserted into said cut-out portions on both sides thereof up to one-half the width of the jewelry element, said connecting members being provided at the end faces thereof with apertures which surround webs of the longitudinal sides of the jewelry elements remaining on both sides of the cut-out portions, and said connecting members engaging with rectangularly shaped extensions formed to both sides of the apertures thereof in a pair-wise manner into the end-face apertures of adjacent jewelry elements.

7. A band-shaped jewelry, essentially consisting of substantially fiat tubularly shaped jewelry elements having a bottom side, longitudinal sides, and end faces and fiat connecting members having end faces,

the jewelry elements being provided on the bottom side thereof and in the longitudinal sides thereof transversely to relatively narrow, rectangularly shaped apertures provided at the end faces thereof with cutout recesses,

the connecting members being inserted into said cut-out portions on both sides thereof up to one-half the Width of the jewelry element, said connecting members being provided at the end faces thereof with apertures which surround webs of the longitudinal sides of the jewelry elements remaining on both sides of the cut-out portions, and said connecting members engaging with rectangularly shaped extensions formed to both sides of the apertures thereof in a pair-wise manner into the end-face apertures of adjacent jewelr elements,

the cut-out portions being completely covered on the bottom side of the jewelry by the inserted connecting members.

8. A band-shaped jewelry, essentially consisting of substantially fiat, tubularly shaped jewelry elements having a bottom side, longitudinal sides and end faces, and flat connecting members having end faces,

the jewelry elements being provided on the bottom side thereof and in the longitudinal sides thereof transversely to relatively narrow, rectangularly shaped apertures provided at the end faces thereof with cutout recesses,

the connecting members being inserted into said cutout portions on both sides thereof up to one-half the width of the jewelry element, said connecting members being provided at the end faces thereof with apertures which surround webs of the longitudinal sides of the jewelry elements remaining on both sides of the cut-out portions, and said connecting members engaging with rectangularly shaped extensions formed to both sides of the apertures thereof in a pair-wise manner into the end-face apertures of adjacent jewelry elements,

the cut-out portions being completely covered on the bottom side of the jewelry by the inserted connecting members,

and the aperture in one end face of the connecting mem- 7 bers being equal at least in width to the aperture in the other end face thereof.

9. A band-shaped jewelry item essentially consisting of jewelry elements having end faces and of connecting members having end faces; each jewelry element consisting of a tubularly shaped element provided with substantially rectangular apertures at the end faces thereof, a flat con tinuous top surface and a bottom surface provided with a cut-out portion of a length smaller than the length of each jewelry element, thereby leaving web portions extending longitudinally along each side of the jewelry element; and said connecting members being provided with apertures in each end surface having a width at least twice the width of a remaining web portion of the jewelry element and the width of each connecting member being, at the most, that of the width of a jewelry element, said jewelry elements being disposed adjacent one another in substantial alignment, with the top surface of each element facing to the same side, and said connecting members receiving in each aperture thereof the corresponding web portions of two adjacent jewelry elements.

10. A method for manufacturing and assembling a band-shaped jewelry item essentially consisting of jewelry elements and of connecting members, each jewelry element consisting of a tubularly shaped element provided with substantially rectangular apertures at the end faces thereof, a fiat, continuous top surface and a bottom surface provided with a cut-out portion of a length smaller than the length of each jewelry element, thereby leaving web portions extending longitudinally along each side of a jewelry element, said connecting members being of approximately V shape provided with apertures in each end surface having a width at least twice the width of a remaining web portion of the jewelry element and the width of each connecting member being, at the most, that of the width of a jewelry element, comprising the steps of placing a plurality of jewelry elements adjacent one another in substantial alignment, with the top surface of each element facing to the same side,

connecting together said elements with said connecting members by pressing flat the V-shaped connecting members on the bottom side of said elements with each aperture of a connecting member receiving therein the corresponding web portions of two adjacent jewelry elements,

and thereafter mechanically finishing the surfaces of at least the top surface in a continuous operation.

11. A method for manufacturing and assembling a band-shaped jewelry item essentially consisting of jewelry elements and of connecting members, each jewelry element consisting of a tubularly shaped element provided with substantially rectangular apertures at the end faces thereof, a flat, continuous top surface and a bottom'surface provided with a cut-out ortion of a length smaller than the length of each jewelry element, thereby leaving web portions extending longitudinally along each side of a jewelry element, said connecting members being of approximately V shape provided with apertures in each end surface having a width at least twice the width of a remaining web portion of the jewelry element and the width of each connecting member being, at the most, that of the width of a jewelry element, comprising the steps of placing a plurality of jewelry elements adjacent one another in substantial alignment, with the top surface of each element facing to the same side,

connecting together said elements with said connecting members by pressing flat the V-shaped connecting members on the bottom side of said elements with each aperture of a connecting member receiving therein the corresponding web portions of two adjacent jewelry elements, and thereafter mechanically finishing the surfaces of at least the top surface in a continuous operation,

and thereupon also mechanically finishing at least the remaining exposed bottom surfaces of the jewelry elements constituted by the web portions and the exposed surfaces of the assembled connecting members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,635,269 7/1927 Grant 59-80 2,928,232 3/1960 Kunzmann 5979' FOREIGN PATENTS 1,183,572 1/1959 France.

1,204,111 8/1959 France.

RICHARD J. HERBST, Primary Examiner.

G. P. CROSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BAND-SHAPED JEWELRY, ESSENTIALLY CONSISTING OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, TUBULARLY SHAPED JEWELRY ELEMENTS HAVING A BOTTOM SIDE, LONGITUDINAL SIDES AND END FACES AND PROVIDED WITH APERTURES IN THE END FACES THEREOF AND OF FLAT CONNECTING MEMBERS HAVING END FACES, THE JEWELRY ELEMENTS BEING PROVIDED WITH CUT-OUT PORTIONS ON THE BOTTOM SIDE THEREOF AND IN THE LONGITUDINAL SIDES THEREOF TRANSVERSELY TO SAID APERTURES, THE LENGTH OF SAID CUT-OUT PORTIONS BEING LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF A JEWELRY ELEMENT, THEREBY LEAVING WEB PORTIONS ALONG THE SIDES OF EACH JEWELRY ELEMENT, EACH CONNECTING MEMBER BEING INSERTED WITH A PART THEREOF HAVING A WIDTH UP TO ONE-HALF THE WIDTH OF A JEWELRY ELEMENT INTO A RESPECTIVE CUT-OUT PORTION, EACH CONNECTING MEMBER BEING PROVIDED AT THE END FACES THEREOF WITH APERTURES WHICH SURROUND THE WEB PORTIONS OF TWO ADJACENT JEWELRY ELEMENTS AND WITH EXTENSIONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE APERTURES THEREOF, ONE EXTENSION OF TWO ADJACENT CONNECTING MEMBERS BEING INSERTED IN A PAIR-WISE MANNER INTO THE APERTURES OF THE RESPECTIVE JEWELRY ELEMENT. 